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Asparagus and Tomato Orecchiette Pasta with Wild Garlic

One-pot asparagus and tomato orecchiette pasta with wild garlic is the perfect spring recipe to take advantage of new season ingredients.

This delicious soupy pasta dish is wonderfully easy to cook and will go from your cupboard to your table in around 45 minutes.

Asparagus and tomato orecchiette pasta soup/stew with wild garlic.

Orecchiette with Tomatoes and Asparagus

This soup/stew perfectly combines old season store cupboard favourites like Orecchiette pasta and tomato passata with really exciting new season produce.

It is packed full of flavours that really do work well together and the pasta makes it hearty enough to feel like a full meall!

Wild garlic adds a delicious “zing” as well as a garlic flavour.

Anchovies give the tomato base a really meaty note and the asparagus stands out as the star of the recipe.

I use both anchovies in the same way in my bacon and asparagus pasta recipe.

Do not throw out those asparagus stems though because you can use them to make my cream of asparagus soup!

Overhead close-up asparagus and tomato orecchiette pasta soup/stew with wild garlic.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is wild garlic and what does it taste like?

Wild Garlic is also known as ramsons or broadleaf garlic, it is native across huge swathes of Europe and can be foraged in many places.

It was a free ingredient for me when I lived in Hungary and I am delighted to have found it free to pick in the UK too.

Of course, it tastes like garlic but it is mellower, sweeter and has a “greener” taste than bulb garlic.

Aside from this recipe, one of my favourite uses for it is to make a wild garlic pesto!

When is wild garlic in season?

In the UK garlic is in season from early-mid March through to the end of April. Sometimes even as late a June.

Can I use anything other than wild garlic?

If you can not get any then you can replace it in this recipe with roasted garlic. You can find instructions for roasting garlic in this roasted garlic pasta recipe.

Can I make this Vegan or Vegetarian?

The easiest way to make this recipe vegetarian is to omit the anchovies.

However, they add a savoury sense of meatiness that it would be good to replace. You can do this by adding chopped olives towards the end.

If you want to get more exotic you can add umeboshi which are a umami packed Japanese plums.

Naturally, if you want to turn this dish vegan you need to use egg-free pasta!

Two bowls of asparagus and tomato orecchiette pasta soup/stew with wild garlic.

Serving Suggestions

This tomato and asparagus pasta dish is very much like a stew or a soup and just like all good bowls of soup or stew, a nice bit of bread goes down a storm here.

If I’m baking bread I would probably add some soda bread, mainly because it is super easy to make… and I don’t like baking!

In terms of store-bought bread, I would likely go for a wedge of ciabatta or a couple of slices of focaccia.

However, my wife loves garlic bread (who doesn’t), which means that is how I usually serve this recipe.

Close-up asparagus and tomato orecchiette pasta soup/stew with wild garlic.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Hob/Stovetop.
  • 28cm or 11″ deep-sided frying pan with a lid.
  • Chopping board.
  • Kitchen knife.
  • A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug and or measuring cups and spoons.
One-pot asparagus and Tomato Orecchiette Pasta with Wild Garlic garnished with parmesan.
Yield: 2 Servings

One Pot Asparagus and Tomato Orecchiette Pasta Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

This hearty tomato and asparagus soup with wild garlic uses orecchiette pasta to fill it out make the perfect early summer main course soup.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Anchovy Fillets
  • 100g (⅔ Cup) Onion
  • 500ml (2 Cups) Vegetable stock
  • 75ml (⅓ Cup) White Wine
  • 200ml (¾ Cup + 2 Tbsp) Tomato Passata
  • 100g (1-1¼ Cups) Orecchiette Pasta
  • 100g (½ Cup) Asparagus Spears
  • 2 Large Handfuls Wild Garlic
  • ¼-½ Tsp Salt
  • ⅛ Tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

  1. Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 2-3mm (⅛") dice.
  2. Slice the wild garlic leaves into 1cm (½") strips and chop the stems as finely as you can. Keep the leaves and stems separate.
  3. Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the woody section and discarding. Cut the remaining asparagus into 1cm (½") sections leaving the tips a little longer.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a 28cm or 11" deep frying pan over a low/medium heat.
  5. Add the anchovy fillets onion and wild garlic stems, then cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
  6. Add in the wine, vegetable stock, passata and the salt and pepper, make sure you taste to get the salt right. Then cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
  7. Add the pasta, return the lid, turn the heat up to medium and cook for 2 minutes less than it says on the packet.
  8. Have a taste of the pasta here, it should be undercooked but should have 2-3 minutes left until it is perfect. Stir in the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes uncooked.
  9. Check the pasta is cooked to your liking then stir in the wild garlic leaves cooking them for no more than 30 seconds.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 1912mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 10gSugar: 10gProtein: 9g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Brian Jones

Wednesday 28th of March 2018

You are welcome

Brian Jones

Wednesday 28th of March 2018

Thanks Julie... Asparagus was always an indulgence for me, until I started growing it and now use it much more freely and it is wonderful.

Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours

Monday 26th of March 2018

I bet those anchovies make it taste amazing and pack a full on umani punch - so delicious.

Brian Jones

Wednesday 28th of March 2018

You are so right, I love using anchovies in this way... They make a great base for a dish.

Brian Jones

Sunday 5th of June 2016

There really is no sub for the anchovies but you can omit them or possibly use vegetarian worcesteshire sauce althought that will add a different flavour profile bu one that should work.

Brian Jones

Thursday 28th of April 2016

Thanks Ali, the season is short so we need to take advantage :)

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